The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for laminating an ultraviolet curing type waveguide material, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for laminating an ultraviolet curing type waveguide material which can execute a laminating process and an ultraviolet irradiating process at the same time.
In the case in which an ultraviolet curing type waveguide material is laminated, conventionally, an ultraviolet irradiating process is carried out after a laminating process is executed. For this reason, it is necessary to execute two independent processes including the laminating process and the ultraviolet irradiating process. Correspondingly, a tact time and a cost are increased. Moreover, there is a fear that deformation or peeling might be caused because a resin material is uncured after the laminating process.
As an example of a conventional method of laminating an ultraviolet curing type waveguide material, the case in which an optical waveguide is manufactured will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.
First of all, a first optical waveguide material 12 is laminated on a base plate 11 in FIG. 1A. The base plate 11 is thin plate-shaped, and a resin plate such as an acrylic resin plate or a polycarbonate plate or a metal plate is used, for example. For the first optical waveguide material 12, typically, ultraviolet curing type epoxy based resin materials or other ultraviolet curing type materials, for example, acryl based, fluorine polyimide based or silicone based ultraviolet curing type materials are used.
FIGS. 2A and 2B show a method and apparatus for executing the step of FIG. 1A in which the first optical waveguide material 12 is laminated on the base plate 11 through an evacuation. A material to be laminated, that is, the base plate 11 is fixed to a laminate film 21 (a housing 21a) side, and the base plate 11 and the first optical waveguide material 12 which is uncured are interposed between two laminate films 21 and 22, the two laminate films 21 and 22 are decompressed and evacuated (an arrow A), and a uniform load is then applied through air from an outside of the laminate film 22 at the first optical waveguide material 12 side (an arrow B). Through the laminating step, the first optical waveguide material 12 is bonded to the laminated base plate 11 as shown in FIG. 1B.
In FIG. 1C, next, ultraviolet rays are irradiated on the first optical waveguide material 12 (an arrow C) to cure the first optical waveguide material 12. In addition to the case in which the ultraviolet rays are irradiated to cure the first optical waveguide material 12, the first optical waveguide material 12 is cured through thermal curing in some cases.
In FIG. 1D, next, the first optical waveguide material 12 is laminated on the base plate 11 and a second optical waveguide material 13 is further laminated on the first optical waveguide material 12 which is cured.
FIGS. 3A and 3B show a method and apparatus for executing the step illustrated in FIG. 1D in which the second optical waveguide material 13 is laminated on the first optical waveguide material 12 through an evacuation. A laminated product constituted by the base plate 11 and the first optical waveguide material 12 which is cured and the second optical waveguide material 13 which is uncured are interposed between two laminated films 23 and 24, and a portion between the two laminated films 23 and 24 is decompressed and evacuated (an arrow A) and a uniform load is then applied through air from an outside of the laminate film 24 at the second optical waveguide material 13 side (an arrow B). Through the laminating step, the laminated product constituted by the base plate 11 and the first optical waveguide material 12 which is cured, and the second optical waveguide material 13 which is uncured are laminated. A laminated product constituted by the base plate 11, the first optical waveguide material 12 and the second optical waveguide material 13 is shown in FIG. 1E.
In FIG. 1F, next, the second optical waveguide material 13 is exposed and patterned by a well-known method using a mask 15. The laminated product thus exposed and pattered is shown in FIG. 1G. In FIG. 1H, the second optical waveguide material 13 is developed so that the patterning is completed.
In FIG. 1I, a third optical waveguide material 14 is laminated on the second optical waveguide material 13. A material of the third optical waveguide material 14 is the same as that of the first optical waveguide material 12.
FIGS. 4A and 4B show a method and apparatus for executing the step illustrated in FIG. 1I in which the third optical waveguide material 14 is laminated on the second optical waveguide material 13 through an evacuation. The laminated product constituted by the base plate 11, the first optical waveguide material 12 which is cured and the second optical waveguide material 13 which is uncured, and the third optical waveguide material 14 are interposed between two laminated films 25 and 26, and a portion between the two laminated films 25 and 26 is decompressed and evacuated (an arrow A) and a uniform load is then applied through air from an outside of the laminate film 26 at the third optical waveguide material 14 side (an arrow B).
FIG. 1J shows a laminated product constituted by the base plate 11, the first optical waveguide material 12, the second optical waveguide material 13 and the third optical waveguide material 14 which is fabricated through the laminating steps.
In FIG. 1K, subsequently, ultraviolet rays are irradiated on the third optical waveguide material 14 to cure the third optical waveguide material 14. In addition to the case in which the ultraviolet rays are irradiated to cure the third optical waveguide material 14, the third optical waveguide material 14 is cured through thermal curing in some cases.
As described above, according to the conventional method of laminating an ultraviolet curing type waveguide material, the laminating process is carried out and the ultraviolet irradiating step is then executed. Moreover, the laminating process employs a method of interposing a laminating material (uncured) and a material to be laminated (usually cured) by using laminate films and carrying out an evacuation, and then performing a pressurization uniformly through air. In the case in which a lamination is carried out over a material having concavo-convex portions, accordingly, a lamination through pressing has a problem in that air bubbles are mixed into a laminating surface. In the conventional laminating method using a vacuum pressurization, the problem can be avoided.
As the related art, JP-A-Hei7-218921 (Patent Document 1) has disclosed a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel in which a pair of substrates bonded in the air are left in vacuum and a pressure is applied from both sides left in vacuum in the case in which a liquid crystal panel is manufactured.
JP-A-Hei8-201747 (Patent Document 2) has disclosed a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel in which when a plurality of glass substrates are to be stuck to a glass substrate, the glass substrate and the glass substrates are overlaid respectively through an ultraviolet curing resin containing an internal holding material, closed chambers are formed through a division in respective outer peripheral positions of the smaller glass substrate, a pressure is reduced in each of the closed chambers to pressurize the glass substrates in the air, and ultraviolet rays are then irradiated on an ultraviolet curing resin to cure the ultraviolet curing resin.
In JP-A-Hei11-293202 (Patent Document 3), moreover, it is an object to implement a lamination for satisfying necessary functions such as an alignment of two substrates in the lamination, an ultraviolet irradiation or a uniform pressurization and bond of the substrates. By switching an evacuating apparatus and a pressurized air supplying apparatus, the two substrates are uniformly pressurized and bonded, and furthermore, ultraviolet rays are transmitted through an ultraviolet transmitting plate and an upper substrate and are thus irradiated on a seal member between the upper and lower substrates so that an ultraviolet curing resin in the seal is cured.
According to the conventional method of laminating an ultraviolet curing type waveguide material described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the step of irradiating ultraviolet rays is to be executed after the step of laminating a substrate is carried out. Therefore, it is necessary to execute two independent processes including a substrate laminating process and an ultraviolet irradiating process. Correspondingly, a tact time and a cost are increased. Moreover, there is a fear that deformation or peeling might be caused because a resin material is uncured after the laminating process.
In the method of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel which is disclosed in the Patent Document 1, there is suggested a substrate laminating method which combines an evacuation of a pair of substrates and a uniform pressurization through air. However, the substrate laminating method is applied to a process for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel and is not applied to the case in which an ultraviolet curing type waveguide material is laminated. Moreover, the ultraviolet irradiating process is not disclosed.
In the method of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel which is disclosed in the Patent document 2, in the case in which a glass substrate and glass substrates are laminated to cure an ultraviolet curing resin, it is necessary to execute an ultraviolet irradiating step after carrying out a substrate laminating step in the same manner as in the prior art. For this reason, it is necessary to execute two independent processes including a substrate laminating process and an ultraviolet irradiating process. Correspondingly, a tact time and a cost are increased.
Also in the method of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel which is disclosed in the Patent Document 3, moreover, the substrates are uniformly pressurized and bonded by using two methods including an evacuation and a pressurization through air in the case in which the substrates are laminated, and ultraviolet curing is carried out as a subsequent step. In the same manner as in the prior art, therefore, it is necessary to execute the ultraviolet irradiating step after carrying out the substrate laminating step. For this reason, it is necessary to execute two independent processes including a substrate laminating process and an ultraviolet irradiating process. Correspondingly, a tact time and a cost are increased.